Here's to the Night
by Epave Belle
Summary: "He didn't love her. She wasn't Lily. But he admitted he cared for her. Then she disappeared. Sixteen years later, Severus's past comes back - for revenge - for love - and for the future." From OotP until after the war. Rated M/Adult content.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, anything that you recognize was sprouted from the mind of J.K. Rowling. She's making the money, not me. This is for fun and only Aurora is mine.**

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><p><em><strong>Prologue<strong> June 1978_

"_Here's to the nights we felt alive  
>Here's to the tears you knew you'd cry<br>Here's to goodbye  
>Tomorrow's gonna come too soon..."<em>

_Aurora tried to get her eyes to focus. The corridors were shadowed and silent at this time of night, and on the last day of term. She had taken her black cloak and had the hood pulled over her head, hoping for once that she could blend into the shadows. She had heard them talking earlier that day in the common room. They were meeting at the edge of the Forbidden Forest to take the portkey. They didn't know that she had heard them. Of course, she had already expected as much. Lucas had been talking about it for months now, bragging to his Housemates in that arrogant tone he had had since they were children. But Lucas Avery wasn't who she was following. She didn't really care what her brother did with his life, or what he had decided she needed to do with hers. She was following someone else. Someone important. _

_She wanted nothing more than to run to him, but she kept her distance, pausing at every turn, holding her breath, feeling sure that he would hear the heartbeat that was pounding in her ears. 'Just close enough to keep him in sight,' she reminded herself. She knew he would be furious if he knew she was following him. Oh, he would find out eventually, of course, but by then it would already be too late. She had made up her mind that she wasn't going to let him do it alone. Well... that was the plan anyway. And it would have been successful had she not tripped herself on her own cloak and let out that one little squeak. _

_It was over then. It was too late. Severus wiped around in a second, snarling, wand drawn. Even if she had actually had time to duck into the shadows, she knew it would have been stupid. He had heard her. He knew something - someone- was there, and it was best to show herself before he started throwing hexes. She knew what he was capable of, and she knew better than to put herself on the other end of his wand. She didn't have a death wish. Quickly pushing back the hood of her cloak, she stepped into the faint torchlight. He lowered his wand but his snarl deepened when he saw her. _

_He rushed at her, and she winced as he grabbed her by the arms, slamming her back against the hard stone wall of the corridor, crushing her with his body, pinning her. She cried out a little, sharp pain shooting through her back and shoulders. _

"_What the hell do you think you're doing?" he questioned angrily, careful to keep his voice low in case Filch or his infernal cat was near. _

_She groaned softly, "Following you." _

"_I gathered that much you stupid witch! I want to know why!" he hissed, pressing her harder against the wall. It hurt, but oh how she loved the way his body felt against her. She left her eyes closed, knowing he was still glaring at her. She could feel it. "Answer me!"_

"_I... I heard Lucas talking..." His grip tightened on her arms, causing her to wince again. "In... In the common room. He said that you were going with him... And Mulciber... And Rosier..." _

"_You shouldn't eavesdrop you know," he growled. "It can get you into trouble."_

"_If you're going then so am I," she whispered softly, trying to sound determined and avoid looking at his eyes. She saw the anger flash across his face as he shook her._

"_What the hell are you playing at?"_

_She grimaced, her head spinning a little. He was so strong, and it was getting harder for her to breath with the way he was crushing her against the wall. "I... I have to take it anyway Severus... Father wants me to... And Lucas... They don't take no... for an answer... And... I'd rather go with you than go alone..." she replied honestly, forcing herself to not look into his eyes. _

_He sighed suddenly, loosening the grip he had on her arms. She could tell he was still angry, but not as much so. He shook his head, and then slowly lowered his forehead so that it was lightly resting on hers._

"_You stupid, stupid girl..," he said softly, sighing at her again. "Just how do you think you're going to hide a Dark Mark for the next two years?" She stayed silent. "Well?"_

"_I... I don't know..." she answered quietly. She felt the tears start to pool in her eyes, just waiting to spill, clinging to dark lashes. 'No', she chided herself, 'You've cried enough in front of him as it is.' If she cried now, he'd never let her go._

_Severus pulled his head away from her and shook it again. "Aurora, don't do something stupid. You'd be expelled if anyone saw, and you're too bright for that..."_

"_I'll have to take it eventually Severus... you know that I will... I just... if I have to, I want it to be with you..." She spoke the last part so softly that he had barely heard it, but finally looked up to meet the dark pools of his eyes again. _

"_No. Not with me. Not now. This isn't about us anymore," he said sternly. _

_She closed her eyes, turning her face away from him, wishing that his words hadn't hurt her so much. The tears that she had been trying so hard to hold back finally spilled from her eyes, making their way down her face in warm little streaks. Severus let go of her arms, letting his right hand slide down to the curve of her hip. His left hand went to her face, lightly touching her chin to make her look up at him._

_Slowly, softly, he brought his lips down to hers. She let her hands creep up his sides and rest flat against his chest. The kiss made her burn inside. Made her warm. But all too soon, he broke away._

"_Go back to your dorm Aurora. Don't follow me," he ordered quietly._

"_Severus..." she protested, her eyes pleading with him as he let her go, stepping away from her._

"_If you love me like you say you do, don't follow me."_

_She nodded and sank down against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, silent tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched him turn and make his way down the empty corridor._

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><p><em>He knew he had hurt her... physically and emotionally, but it was for the best that he did. She didn't understand. She was so willing to follow him anywhere, but despite him, and her family, she didn't really want to take the mark. She didn't believe in pureblood supremacy, and in truth, she didn't really belong in Slytherin. She had told him, and she had begged him not to take it either. <em>

_Her voice rang out in his memory, as he strode silently down the hall. "You actually have a choice, Severus! I don't! You know it's a mistake and you don't have to take it! Do you know what I would give for that?" Oh how much she had begged him, and how much she had cried. _

_But she didn't understand. He did have to take it. He wanted power. He wanted to be known. He wanted to make his mark on the world. And to do that, he had to put a mark on himself. His mark. The Dark Lord's mark. But she was different. She was just following in the footsteps of her pureblood family, and him. Not because she wanted it, or wanted any of the Dark Lord's promises, but because she would be forced to take it. So he would save her from her fate, for tonight at least. _

_He knew she would do as he told her. She would do anything he told her. She truly loved him, and she had excepted long ago that he was never going to say it back. He admitted he cared for her, but he didn't love her. She wasn't Lily. And even knowing that, she had still followed him._

_As he reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he focused on the three figures ahead of him in the distance. All identically cloaked in black, just as he was. He didn't have to see their faces to know who they were. Avery. Mulciber. Rosier. His companions for the night ahead._

_Lucas Avery turned as Severus approached him. "What took you so long Snape? And where's my sister? You were supposed to bring her with you," he questioned in his usual arrogant tone._

_Severus scowled and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Your sister, as it happens, is what took me so long." _

_Muliciber snorted, "Up for a midnight shag were you Snape?" _

_Severus clenched his fists in the dark, but his face stayed calm, betraying his feelings. "She's too much of a weakling Avery and you know it. I suppose I broke her little heart when I told her I didn't want to be with her anymore, now that we've graduated," Severus sneered. "She's most likely still crying in the common room, right where I left her."_

_Avery let out a haughty laugh. "Such a stupid little witch. It doesn't really matter though. She'll take the mark later, and maybe then, she'll finally stop being such an embarrassment."_

_Severus huffed, but said nothing. He truly hated saying such things about her, but if it got her brother off of her case, at least for the night, then so be it. It meant she was safe for a little while longer. Safe from doing the thing that scared her the most and that was all that mattered._

_After a few silent moments, Severus straightened himself up and looked down over the bridge of his nose. "Let's go. The Dark Lord doesn't like to be kept waiting..."_

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><p><strong>AN: This story is going to be reasonably canon, but slightly AU towards the end. Also, Although her name is Aurora, I promise she's not a Mary Sue! Hope you enjoyed and big hugs to anyone who reviews! :D**


	2. Surprise Rendevous

****Disclaimer: Unfortunately, anything that you recognize was sprouted from the mind of J.K. Rowling. She's making the money, not me. This is for fun and only Aurora is mine.** **

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 1 <strong>_

_**Surprise Rendevous **August 1995_

Severus Snape sat rigid in his chair just to the Headmaster's right, arms crossed, trademark scowl plastered across his face. The Order of the Phoenix was well into their meeting by the time the Advanced Guard arrived back at Number 12 Grimmauld Place with the famous Boy-Who-Lived. At the sound of the door opening, as well as a few crashes most likely the work of Nymphadora Tonks, Molly Weasley jumped up from her seat and rushed out of the room to greet the new arrivals.

Severus could hear her matronly babble from the hallway, as she began to fuss over Harry in her over-enthusiastic, motherly tone, asking how he felt and complaining about how peaky he looked. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Merlin how that woman's attitude was annoying. The Order continued in hushed whispers as Mrs. Weasley ushered Harry upstairs with the other children, before coming back to the meeting herself, shutting the door of the dimly lit kitchen quickly behind her.

The instant the door was closed, Sirius resumed his request to allow Harry to join the Order, once again sparking an argument with Molly Weasley.

"Harry's not even of age!" Mrs. Weasley barked, her face reddening. "He's only fifteen and -"

"And he's seen and dealt with as much, if not more than most of the Order," Sirius added in quick retort, his fists clenched on top of the table. "It's your decision to keep your children out of this. Harry on the other hand..."

"It's not down to _you_ to decide what's good for Harry!" She argued, gripping the arms of the chair so hard her hands began to tremble. "We're all well aware of what he's done! We're not denying it! But he's still -"

"He's not a child!" snapped Sirius, his voice dripping with impatience.

"He's not an adult either!" Mrs. Weasley yelled, jumping up from her seat. "He's not _James_, Sirius!"

"I'm well aware of who he is Molly," replied Sirius coldly.

"Really? I'm not quite sure you are!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

Sirius turned away from her, looking down at his hands. "He's not your son..."

"Well he's as good as!"

"Can't the two of you continue your little spat at a later date so that we can we please proceed with the meeting?" Severus drawled in his low baritone, earning him several glares from around the table.

Dumbledore nodded to Severus, "Molly, Sirius. Severus is right. I have already stated that Harry doesn't need to be told any more than he _needs to know_. He has far too much on his plate as it is."

Mrs. Weasley huffed and took her seat at the table again, still not taking her glaring eyes away from Sirius, who in turn was glaring at Severus.

Dumbledore sighed lightly, letting a small smile play on his lips again before continuing. "Well, now if that matter is settled for the time being, I would like to inform everyone that we -"

Before Dumbledore could finish, the rough click of the front door could be heard again from the kitchen. Several Order members stood, including Severus, and reached for their wands, but as they went to step out, Dumbledore calmly raised his hand. Severus let his eyes wonder between the Headmaster and the kitchen door for a few moments before it slowly creaked its way open, revealing a small figure wrapped in a damp, grey cloak that pinned around their neck with a large amethyst broach.

"As I was saying... we have a new member to the Order." Dumbledore stated, his eyes twinkling, waving a hand in the direction of the door.

As if on queue, small, delicate hands reached up, slowly pulling back the hood of the cloak. The woman smiled and pulled a pin out of the hair, letting her deep chocolate coloured locks cascade over her shoulders. "Thank you for the introduction Headmaster," she spoke softly, nodding her head at the smiling old man.

Dumbledore waved his hand for her to take one of the empty seats at the end of the table. "Everyone, it is my pleasure to introduce - "

"Aurora..." finished Severus in a low whisper, earning him several quick and curious glances from the other members.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Yes. Aurora Avery. Please do take a seat my dear. Remus, would you be so kind as to check that the front door is sealed properly?"

Lupin nodded and quickly made his way out of the kitchen to see to the door.

The woman nodded and took the empty seat next to a young, violet-haired woman, who quietly introduced herself as Tonks as Dumbledore continued with the meeting.

Severus however wasn't listening, his eyes still transfixed on the woman who was now the newest member to the Order. He hadn't seen her in years but he knew her. He had known her from the instant that he had caught sight of those honey coloured, hazel eyes. Not that he meant to blurt it out as he had, but the shock had gotten the better of him. He eyed her as she sat in her chair with her back straight and her chin high, focusing on the Headmaster, although every few minutes she would let her eyes quickly glance over at him. After what had seemed to him as only a few minutes, and in reality had been a bit over an hour, Dumbledore pushed his chair back and stood, snapping Severus out of his own thoughts.

"Before I go, Sirius, could I have a word with you?" the Headmaster asked, motioning for Sirius to follow. Severus smirked a bit. From the look on his face the mutt undoubtedly assumed he was to be reprimanded for his earlier argument, and he watched as Sirius stood slowly to follow Dumbledore out of the kitchen. Everyone else stood as well, making their way out into the hallway.

Severus stood quietly, weaving through the small crowd who seemed irritatingly insistent on chatting in the tiny hall. He was intent on making his departure before Molly once again asked him to join them for dinner. He had more important matters to attend to and he been subjected to enough of their bickering for the night. '_Then there was also the matter of...'_ He quickly shook the antagonizing thought from his head and reached for the old brass doorknob. He turned it harshly, but as he started to open the door, he felt something snag the edge of his cloak. Bracing himself for another pesky, mother-hen dinner invitation, he slowly spun around and found himself looking down into those honey coloured, hazel eyes.

"It's good to see you again Severus... Ah... you look well," Aurora said, her voice soft and nervous.

"As do you..." he replied evenly, forcing himself to ignore the lump that was beginning to form in his throat.

He watched her turn her gaze toward the pictures on the wall. "I see my... ah... arrival came as a bit of a shock?" she asked, lightly chewing her lower lip.

"Obviously," Severus replied coolly, knitting his brow.

She lightly traced her finger over one of the frames and sighed. "I know it's been a long time... but I just wanted to tell you... I never forgot what you did for me..." She turned her gaze back on him. "And I never got the chance to properly thank you for it... You're a good man Severus Snape."

His nodded slightly in acknowledgment, his scowl deepening as she reached up and took the side of his face in her hand. He allowed her to pull him down enough to place a light kiss on his cheek, hearing her soft sigh as she pulled away. "Goodnight Severus..." He nodded again before making his hasty departure.

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><p>"Ah, Aurora, there you are my dear."<p>

Aurora turned at Dumbledore's voice and smiled, "Oh I'm sorry Headmaster. I was just... ah..." She shifted her eyes to the door.

Dumbledore nodded and smiled. "I've arranged with Sirius for you to stay here. It's the safest place I can offer next to Hogwarts." He gestured toward the man beside him, who was grinning at her like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh well, thank you very much Headmaster." She extended her hand out toward the infamous Sirius Black with a polite smile. "And thank you as well Mr. Black for allowing me to stay in your home." She vaguely remembered him from school, although those particular memories, as she recalled, were not very fond ones.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it lightly, "Call me Sirius, and the pleasure is all mine."

"Well then, I must be heading back to Hogwarts, feel free to contact me if you need anything," Dumbledore said with a smile. He nodded to the both of them before heading out the door himself.

Sirius turned back to her, "I've already had my house elf take your bags to your room for you, but please do pardon the dust and cobwebs, no one had lived here in..."

"_Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place. How dare you befoul the house of my fathers -" _

Sirius's head snapped back toward the living room, "Ah, excuse me..." He dashed off in the direction of the screaming with Aurora following curiously behind him.

"Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!" Sirius roared as he rounded the corner of the room.

Aurora reached the doorway just as Sirius had managed to force the curtains shut over a large portrait with help of the tall, worn looking man who Dumbledore had earlier referred to as Remus.

Aurora stepped back toward the staircase as the portrait's screeches died down, thankful that they had rescued her from Sirius's...charms. Children were filing down the stairs and into the kitchen, being ushered in by a matronly woman. Aurora assumed she must be the mother of a majority of the kids, seeing that they all had bright ginger hair. Suddenly, with a loud pop, two identical boys appeared behind the woman causing her to scream, and begin smacking them. Aurora giggled lightly and quietly made her way up the stairs.

As nice as the people had seemed, she had only just met them, and despite the grumbling protests of her empty stomach, the thought of having dinner with a group of strangers didn't sound all that appealing. The longer she could save herself from the company of her new acquaintances, the better.

However, it wasn't until she had reached the second landing of the old house that she realized she hadn't asked Sirius which room it was that she would be staying in. _'Well, I suppose my things ought to be in one of these rooms...'_ she thought to herself, opening the first door on the right. It was crowded with bags, but none of which belonged to her. She sighed and closed the door back, peaking into each room to see which contained her belongings. She finally found them piled neatly in the corner of a rather spacious, albeit sparsely used, room.

Entering quietly, she began looking around the room that would belong to her until Dumbledore found somewhere more suitable for her to stay. _'If he finds anywhere at all.' _She reminded herself with a sighed. That thought was very unappealing to her. Surveying the room, she noticed another small door to her left, which most likely led to a bathroom. She scanned the walls, which were adorned with an abundance of what appeared to be Slytherin paraphernalia. There was a large four poster bed on the right wall, covered with what she could only assume was worn, deep green bedsheets, although it was hard to tell through the layers of dust that blanketed the entirety of the room.

_'Well looks like Sirius certainly wasn't exaggerating when he said no one has lived here for some time. Either that, or he is an awful housekeeper.'_ Aurora though, biting her lip in attempt to keep herself from sneezing. She pulled out her wand and with a few quick spells, she purged the room of all the dust and cobwebs that encompassed it. Satisfied for the moment, she made her way around to inspect the furniture.

There wasn't much else in the room, other than a night-stand to the side of the bed, a nice sized desk, a large wardrobe and a bookcase lined with a plethora of old literature. She sniggered lightly as she noted it all was made of ebony wood. _'So cliché,'_ she thought to herself with a smile. Exploring further, she found that she had assumed correctly, and the other door led to a small bathroom. Once that too was clean, she set herself in a threadbare little chair beside her bags and began to unpack, quietly humming to herself.

She smiled, thinking back to the meeting. She honestly didn't remember most of the details the Headmaster had discussed. Her mind had been much to focused on Severus. She had truly tried to give Dumbledore her undivided attention, but she had been distracted by the feeling of Severus's gaze boring into her from across the table. The poor man. He had looked like he had seen a ghost. _'Then again...' _she suddenly realized, _'In a way... He had.'_

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry it took so long to update. Having issues with the site last night... Who am I kidding... I'm having issues this morning as well and to top it all off, posting this has me late for work! I hope everyone enjoys and Snapey hugs to all those who read and review! :D**


	3. Reminiscing

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, anything that you recognize was sprouted from the mind of J.K. Rowling. She's making the money, not me. This is for fun and only Aurora is mine, regardless of how much I wish that I owned Snape. :)**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 2<strong>_

___**Reminiscing **_

Severus stormed into his quarters, slamming and warding the doors behind him as he went. After the ordeal at the meeting, he was fuming, and now in the privacy of his chambers, he allowed his composure to abandon him.

Why hadn't the Old Man told him about her? He stood there wide-eyed like an imbecile when she had walked in, and then he whispered her name in front of everyone. In front of the entire Order.

His head was practically spinning with rage as he threw himself on the couch in his lounge, reaching for one of the crystal tumblers and the bottle of firewhiskey he kept on the table. He filled the glass to the brim and quickly knocked it back, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as the alcohol burned it's way down his throat. Why hadn't he been told? He threw the tumbler against the wall, watching as the glass shattered and fell onto the hearth, glistening lucidly in the light of the fire.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sat back, resting his head on the back of the couch. He sighed, slowly pulling his wand from his sleeve, and with a silent spell, the tumbler reformed and was set back in its original place on the table. This wasn't the way he wanted to take care of the situation. He wasn't his father, and he had no intention of drowning his anger and his grievances in a sea of alcohol. Not even over her.

Rationality crept it's way back into his mind. Why _would_ the Old Man have said anything? Of course, they had been in the same house, but the Headmaster had not known that they had been friends. '_More than friends'_, he corrected himself, '_and certainly much more than Housemates.'_

All the same, he still wished he had known. It had been eighteen years since he had last seen her... Sixteen years since... He shook his head with a another sigh. Since she had mysteriously gone missing. Vanished. Just before her last year at Hogwarts had ended. That particular memory was one he hadn't thought about in quite some time.

Not that her family had cared when they had first been told, Severus recalled. Oh no, they had considered her an embarrassment to their family name for years. She was too soft, too sweet, and too much their opposite. The Dark Lord, however, was not as pleased when he learned the news of her disappearance from her father. He had lost a follower, and her family had been punished for not keeping a better eye on her. He wanted ranks, and he didn't like incompetence.

After that, her family had argued with Dumbledore about where she had gone. But as the months passed, Severus had actually started to believe the Old Man's story: _She had gone for detention along with a couple of Hufflepuff boys. They were going with the gamekeeper, Hagrid, to gather some plants for Slughorn from the Forbidden Forest and had split up to find them. Hagrid taking the boys, and Aurora taking Fang, insisting she would be fine alone. Fang turned up later that night, laying in hollowed tree in the forest and Aurora was nowhere to be found... _Yes, after months of failed search attempts, it had seemed plausible.

And now, there she was, eighteen years later, showing up at the Order meeting. He knew now that the Old Man was behind it all. He had realized that just from the mischievous twinkling in his eyes when she had pulled down the hood of her cloak. Of course. He had set it all up. Severus knew she hadn't wanted to take the Dark Mark all those years ago, and he knew she would have had no choice once the school year was over. Her family would have made her take it. So she had obviously gone to her Headmaster for help.

_'How very un-Slytherin of her... and yet, how very like her.' _A smirk played on his lips at the thought. She had never really been much of a Slytherin, and part of that, he remembered, was what appealed to him at times. There was an allure in her lack of belief in pureblood supremacy, despite it having been the basis of her upbringing. So she and the Headmaster had planned it, and the Old Man had somehow hidden her away all these years.

And now she had come back from wherever she had run off. And she had recognized him too. But of course she had, he chided himself, he hadn't changed much. Besides, he thought with an almost grin, they had history... They had secrets...

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><p>As the hours passed, Aurora managed to get the vast majority of her belongings unpacked and put away, even managing to put some of her own touches in the room. The old bed sheets had been folded and placed in the bottom drawer of the wardrobe, replaced by a set in deep plum velvet. Most of the pictures had been placed in the wardrobe as well, and the lamps transfigured into spiralling patterns, rather than serpentine ones. The snake motif, albeit beautiful, reminded her too much of the Slytherin common room as well as her old family home and in a way, it was too close for comfort.<p>

She settled down to the last of her bags, and pulled it open, slowly removing the small collection of literature she had brought along. As she began sorting through the books, in hopes of distracting herself from her thoughts, she heard a soft knock on the door.

She stiffened and cleared her throat. "Ah... Come in?"

As she heard the door open, she stood, turning to see Sirius nonchalantly leaning against the door frame, a tray of tea and biscuits in his hands. "Nice to see you've settled yourself in already," he said with his smile sporting all of the Black charm he could muster. "Molly's been cleaning the rest of the house. Like I was telling you before, no one's lived here in years."

"Oh, ah, yes." Aurora replied, brushing her hands off on the eggplant coloured sweater-dress she was wearing. Her cloak had been long forgotten, thrown carelessly onto the bed during her cleaning spree.

Sirius sat the tray down on the desk, noticing that the years of dust and items that used to litter the top of the recently cleaned surface left an odd sun bleached design across the veneer. Sirius took one of the cups of tea for himself, and smiled at her. His gaze made her feel a bit uneasy, and she began to lightly chew at her lower lip.

"You didn't come to dinner..."

"Oh, I thought I would just well... unpack... Besides, I don't... I wasn't very hungry..." she replied, awkwardly attempting to hide her anxiety. Over the years, she had become accustomed to the paper-pushing activities of the muggle world, and having only just arrived back in the world of her childhood, the nostalgia and apprehension had quickly become a bit overwhelming.

"Well just in case, I brought tea and biscuits for you." He waved toward the tray, and took a small sip from his own teacup.

She smiled politely and helped herself the other cup that Sirius had nudged across the tray towards her, letting a few cubes of sugar drop into her cup and stirring them around before looking back up. She tried to hide her uneasiness as her eyes met Sirius's; he was staring at her again.

"Um, thank you very much... For the tea... And for allowing me to stay here..."

He held up his hand to stop her. "As I said before, no thanks is needed."

Aurora bit her lip again and nodded, her eyes darting around the room uncomfortably.

"I see you've taken care of the décor in here. This was my brother Regulus's room. Slytherin, as I'm sure you could tell." Sirius said, walking across the room and taking a seat in the little threadbare chair.

"Oh... I'm sorry... I put his things in the bottom of the wardrobe... And the lamps and things I just transfigured... I didn't know it was your brother's room..." she said apologetically. Taking a biscuit from the tray, Aurora moved across the room and sat opposite him, on the foot of the bed.

She remembered Regulus from school as well. Having been in Slytherin herself, she had actually been acquainted with most of the Blacks - at one point or another - throughout her time at Hogwarts. Regulus had been a year her senior and and quite nice to her by comparison. He was certainly her preferred member of the Black family. Then he had died not a year after he had left school...

"No no! Quite alright! I never liked his taste," Sirius assured her, snapping her out of the mournful nostalgia. "I was a Gryffindor myself."

Aurora nodded but was quiet, noting the proud air that surrounded him at his declaration. _'Just like a Gryffindor.' _The thought almost making her grin to herself.

"So Aurora, what brings you here? The Order? My house?"

Aurora cast him a sideways glance, taking a sip of her tea. "I take it Dumbledore hasn't told anyone much about me..." Sirius shook his head, a touch of curiosity creeping into his eyes. "I haven't been in England in... almost sixteen years it's been now..."

"Really? Where have you been?" Sirius pressed.

"Ah... America actually."

"Really?" Sirius said, sounding a bit amused. "What did you do there?"

"You mean like work?" she asked. Sirius nodded. "Oh. Well I was a secretary at a Muggle insurance company... Not the most exciting of jobs, but I suppose I was good at it... and it paid the bills."

"So what made you come back then?"

_'Full of questions, this one...'_ she thought to herself. _'May as well tell him the truth I suppose...'_

"Well, when I heard about the rise of the Dar-" She caught herself and stiffened a bit, clearing her throat softly. "You-Know-You," she corrected, "I thought I may as well come back and fight..." She paused, taking a small bite of the biscuit she had taken. "I contacted Dumbledore and asked if there was anything I could do. He told me then that he was reforming the Order and asked if I would like to become a member. When I said yes he told me he would find me somewhere safe to stay. I suppose since I can't really stay at Hogwarts, with all the Ministry interference, he felt that here was the next safest place for me. So.. Voilà. Here you have me."

Sirius nodded and stood walking over to the desk and placing his empty teacup back on the tray.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like. I'll let you head off to bed now. It's late." He stopped when he reached the doorway and turned to her again. "By the way, I'm just across the hall if you need anything," he said with a wink before shutting the door as he left.

Aurora took out her wand and locked the door behind him, shaking her head. He hadn't seemed to have caught her little verbal faux pas and he seemed satisfied with her story. Not that it wasn't the truth, but she didn't know him well enough to go spilling all her secrets to him any time soon. She sighed and stood, making her way to the wardrobe to change. It had been a long day, and Sirius was right, it was late, and her eyelids were becoming heavier. She changed slowly and crawled into bed, her thoughts drifting away from Sirius and back to her arrival.

She was silently grateful that no one seemed to remember her from her time at school, even though she was only a few years younger than some of them, Sirius included. He had certainly not remembered who she was, as he had made that apparent in his complaint of Regulus's décor. Not that there was any particular reason for them to remember her. She been even more quiet and to herself in those days than she was at present. Besides, from the people she recognized, most of them had been in Gryffindor, and she had been a meek little Slytherin.

It had actually taken her aback that Severus had recognized her so quickly after all the time that had passed. She knew he would be there, as Dumbledore had mentioned a few times in their letters, but she hadn't actually expected the reaction she had gotten from him. She assumed he would have remembered her name of course - at least she had hoped he would - but she had not expected him to know who she was the moment he had laid eyes on her.

And yet, as much as it shocked her, it had sent wistful butterflies to her stomach when he whispered her name. _'It was almost as if – No,' _she chided herself, _'He was merely overwhelmed by my sudden appearance. That was all.'_

Of course, recognizing him had been just as easy. He hadn't changed much over the years. He still held the same stoic demeanour, and his features were still stern. The obsidian pools of his eyes, and the way he glared... It was all the same. Only now, there were lines etched into his handsome features undoubtedly the result of too much scowling; too much worry; too much stress. She sighed. Yes, she had recognized him the moment she had laid eyes on him. She could never have forgotten him, no matter how long it had been. After all, they had a history... They had secrets... And although she knew he would surely dispute it, she owed him...

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter is a bit later than I wanted it to be. *sigh* I'm one of those people that wait until the night before they're due to do my taxes. *for shame, for shame* I'm an amazing procrastinator when I want to be. **

**Anywho, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and super gigantic Snapy hugs to all those who have read, reviewed, and added my to your alerts/favs! I love hearing your thoughts! :D**


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